Parachute pack



1,627,067 May 3 1927' J. M. RussELL PARACHUTE PACK Filed June 18. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 LJ' /N VENTO/e [primi/W A Troie/VE Y J. M. RUSSELL May 3,1927.

PARACHUTE PACK Filed June 1s. 1924 s sheets-sheet 2 J. M. RUSSELL May 3. 1.927.

PARACHUTE PACK Filed June 18. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 3, 1927..

JAMES I. RUSSELL, 0F DAYTON, OHIO.

rAnAcnUrn ucr.

Application ille-d Inno 18, 1924. Serial lo. 720,815.

This invention relates to improvements in enabled to climb into and out'of the cockparachute packs and is 'particularly concerned with arachute packs of a vest type to be fastened about the aviators body.

The principal object is to provide a nonrigid\vest pack which is more conveniently and comfortably worn than the semi-rigid or rigid packs heretofore used. Other objects have reference to details of construction which further the foregoing object, conslsting in the provision, in a pack of a generally non-rigid construction, which will give 1n the movements of the aviator, of stiii'ened portions only where the elastics for operatlng the releasable flaps extend about .the pack. Also the provision in a vnon-rigld pack of this kind of a novel means for locatlng the folded parachute and preventing lts movement in the pack when the latter is being worn. Still another novel provision is the location of the pilot parachute in the lowermost portion of the' pack to be out `of danger of opening in the slipstream when the aviator is seated in the cockpit and to be otherwise out of the way behind the aviators body where it will not catch inthe wind and open accidentally. The invention is illustrated in the panying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the pack indicating the manner of fastening the same about the aCCOIIlaviators body.

' Fig. 2 is a view ofthe opposite or front side .of the pack.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 in which portions of the pack are shown open to illustrate the construction.

The same reference numerals are applied in all three views to the same parts. The parachute pack of the present invention is designed to carry the usual service-type parachute used in the U. S. Army and Navy, consisting of the sustaining parachute and the spring-opened auxiliary or pilot paraJ chute for withdrawing the sustalning parachute from the pack. The packs heretofore used were semi-ri id .or rigld and arranged.

to be carried on t e lap, seat, or back, and, in certain instances, on the chest. These packs gave little freedom of movement to the aviator and were otherwise awkward and cumbersome to wear. The present invenL tion rovides a pack which, from the manner in w ich itis worn, is called-a vest type pack, -and is non-rigid to give freedom of movement to the aviator. The aviator is pit without assistance and without yextra eii'ort and to turn or stoop in the cockpit w1th considerable ease.

The lpack comprises a main front piece 10 of a generally inverted T shape to fit on and substantially cover the aviators back and' have the laterally extending portions 11 brought around under the arms and held by straps extending across the chest. The upper portion 12 is fastened by straps passmg over the shoulders. The usual form of harness connecting with the shrouds of the parachute is provided for supporting the aviator. This harness is not shown as it forms no part of the present invention. It 1s understood however, that it will include a pair of straps to buckle about the thighsV in the usual well-known manner, and suspensory straps extending into the pack yfor connectlon with the parachute.

T he front piece 10 may be in one piece or 1n sections joined together and is provided with side flaps 13 and a top fla 14 and a bottom flap 15 folding over the ont piece and releasably connected to retain a foldedv parachute in the pack. The front plece and the flaps sewed thereon are of'a flexible waterproof material which permits fastening the pack snugly without seriously confining or encumbering the aviator and impeding his freedom of movement. IThe side flaps 13 are releasably. connected by cones 16 on the edge of one of the side flaps which pass throu h grommets near the edge of the other sie'iap. rIfhe cones leave the grommets readily when the rip cord, holding the same, is withdrawn. The connection is relatively insecure and for this reason, a narrow flap 17 'is provided to cover the cones and grommets. secured by snap fasteners 18 at its free edge to the side flap on which it is mounted. The top and bottom flaps 14 and 15 are provided with grommets 19 .that receive the cones 16 when the flaps are folded together and are thus fastened to the' side flaps. The

side flaps 13 have elastics 20 extending froml eyelets 21 about the edges of the pack to eyelets 22 on the other side. These serve to t row the flaps 13 open the moment the rip cord is pulled. Similar elastics 23 are provided for the top and bottom flaps 14 and 15 extending from eyelets 24 on the outer side of the pack aboutthe top and bottom ends of the pack to eyelets 25 onthe other The flap 17 is provides pockets in the side. Thev ack is reinforced or stiiened at danger of being caught in thek slipstream the top 'an bottom at the points where the elastics are stretched about the pack. -this way, the pack is not pulled out of shape when the elastics are under tension. A wire frame 26 provides the stitfening means at the upper end of the pack and is secured on the front piece 10 by a piece of fabric 27 sewedover'the frame onto the front piece. In a similar manner, a smaller frame 28 is secured by a piece of fabric 29 sewed onto the front piece 10 at the lower end of the pack. The stiffened upper portion of the pack lies approximately between the shoulder blades and when the pack is pro erly strapped on the aviators back, this sti ened portion does not interfere with freemovement of the arms. The stiifened lower portion engages at about the small of the backy so that the pack cannot interfere with the aviators getting into and out of the cockpit nor encumber him in Walking. The remainin portions of the pack intermediate the sti ened upper and lower portions are, as was stated before, non-rigid and with the pack properly strapped on the aviators body, permits freedom of movement.

The side iaps 13 have grommets 3.0 intermediate the extremities of the aps which receivecones 31 projecting from the front iece 10. Branches of the qrip cord for reeasably holding' the flaps 13, extend to the grommets 30 through sleeves 33 sewed on the flaps 13 to protect thevwires against accidental dis lacement from the cones 31. The ends o thev sleeves 33 are held down by snap fasteners 34. This fastening together of the flaps 13 ,withthe Yfront piece ack at o posite sides in which the edges o the folded) parachute are laid somewhat as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that the parachute is located and held from movement about in the fpack. It will be seen that at the instant the ripcord is pulled to release the parachute, the branches extending to the cones 30 are withdrawn to release the conection between the side iiaps and front piece so that the parachute is free to be withdrawn from the pack by the pilot parachute. If for any reason, the connection at these points should not be undone, it is apparent that the parachute is held only lightly from withdrawing from the pack and is easily removed by the pilot parachute when the latter is launched.

The pilot parachute is folded and laid between a leaf 35 and the flap 15 at the lower end of the pack, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The leaf 35 serves as av artition -to avoid entanglement between t e pilot parachute and the main parachute folded in the pack. Dis osing the pilot parachute at this oint in t e pack avoids a serious hazard 1n that the pilot parachute is out of when the aviator is seated in the cockpit and will not be opened accidentally. Being located at the lowermost portion of the pack, the pilot parachute is shielded by the avialtors body from the wind.

I claim 1. In a parachute pack of non-ri id ilexible construction ada ted to exten across the back and around t 1e sides of the wearer, a plurality of releasable flaps for retaining a folded parachute in said pack, elastics extending about the pack connected to said flaps, and stii'eninof means to hold the shape of the pack at'said elastics.

2. In a vest t pe parachute pack of a enerally non-rigi construction to afford reedom of movement to the wearer, stiifening means at the top and bottom of the pack to engage between the shoulder blades and in the smallof the back, flaps for retaining a folded parachute in said pack, and elastics extending about the stifened portions of the pack connected with the flaps.

3. A parachute pack of non-rigidV con-' struction to be worn in the manner of a vest, consisting of Aa flexible envelope of lar size to substantially cover the back and t e sides of the wearer, and a parachute pack therein.

4. A parachute pack of non-rigid construction, which will readily assume the form of the wearer, having stiffened reinforced top and bottom portions leaving the intermediate portion flexible.

5. In a parachute pack of a generally nonrigid construction to give in the aviators movements, means extending through the body of the pack from the front to the back thereof to hold the parachute in position in said pack.

6. In a parachute pack of generall' nonrigid construction, having front an rear faces of iiexible material, a pluralit of locking cones extending through the dy of the pack to releasablyinterconnect the front and rear faces of the pack to hold the parachute in position in the pack.

7. In a parachute pack of non-rigid construct-ion ada ted to be worn on the aviators back, a parac lute container made of flexible material having flaps extending from the to bottom and side edges, a parachute wit in said container, a fastening cone extending through the body of the pack tov interconnect the front and rear faces of the container together in a releasable manner and maintain the parachute in position around the cone, a pull cord adapted to be manually operated, extendin through the end of said cone to maintain t e container fastened.

8. In a parachute of non-rigid yieldable construction adapted to be worn on the. aviators back, a arachute container madeof flexible materia having a bottom width subsaid container, a pluralit stantially greater than the width at the top and havin flaps extending from the to bottom an side edges, a parachute within of fastening cones extending through the dy of the pack to interconnect the front and rear faces of the container together in a releasable manner and maintain the parachute in position around the cones, a pull cord adapted to be manuallyl operated and havin branches extending t rough the ends of said cones to maintain the container fastened.

9. In a parachute pack, a front piece, flaps overlyin said front piece and releasably connecte to retain a folded parachute in sa-id pack, and releasable connections between said front iece and said flaps ex'- tending through t e bod of the ack to confine rtions of the fo ded parac ute between t e front piece and said flaps to holtli the folded parachute in place in said pac 10. In a parachute pack, a front piece, flaps folding over one another to form a back to retain a folded parachute in said pack, elastics for opening said flaps whenl released, releasable connections for the adjacent edges of said flaps similar releasable connections between the a and the front of the packA intermediate t e flaps to form, when closed, ets inside the pack for portions 'of the arachute, and releasing means for all of sai releasable connections connected to be operated simultaneousl 11. In a parachute pack, a front piece, fla s folding over one another to form a bac to retain a folded parachute, elastics connected to said flaps to open the same when released, releasable connections for the ad'acent edges of said flaps, similar releasab e connections between the flaps and the `front piece of the pack forming, when closed,

pockets inside the pack to receive portions of the folded parachute, a rip cord having branches extending to the edges of the flaps and the releasable connections between the flaps and the front of the pack for releasing all of said connections simultaneously when said, riX cord is pulled.

12. parachute pack of the iexible vest t pe havin a front piece to extend across t e aviato s back and sides and substantially cover the same so that the packed parachute will fasten about and conform to the body of the wearer.

13. In a flexible parachute pack to be carried on the aviators back, releasable side and top and bottom flaps for retaining a folded parachute in said pack, a pilot par- G achute within said pack, said bottom iiap retaining the 'pilot parachute located at the lowest point of the pack. s

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

JAMES M. RUSSELL. 

